Undergraduate Education

Mary F. Wack Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

WSU New Faculty Orientation August 16, 2016

Undergraduate Education at WSU

Vice Provost for Undergraduate

Education

Office of Undergraduate

Education

General Education (UCORE)

Degree Changes (new, online,

etc.)

Curriculum

State Undergraduate

Issues

Transfer

Accreditation & Program Review

Academic Policy

University Classrooms

What We Do Well: Access with Excellence

•#1 Public university for "value-added" (Money Magazine)

•Top 25: degrees to underrepresented students

•Top 50 research university

Unpacking “Value Added”

• National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

• Key asset: Student-Faculty interaction

WSU’s Academic Strengths per NSSE

• Amount of writing students do

• Quantitative reasoning

• Information literacy

• Reflective and integrative learning (seniors)

• Culminating senior experience (Capstone)

Additional Strengths per NSSE

•Mentored research outside class

•Service learning •Two or more HIPs (high impact practices)

High Impact Practices

• Writing • Learning communities • Common intellectual

experience • Service learning • Work with faculty on

research project • Internship, co-op,

clinical placement, etc. • Study abroad • Culminating senior

experience

Seven Learning Goals of the Baccalaureate

• Govern undergraduate education and general education

• Framework for assessment

• Learning outcomes required on syllabi

Undergraduates receive “7 Goals” bookmarks that are written in student-

friendly language.

UCORE (General Education) Capstone Assignment Charette with Pat Hutchings

Partnership with Library Personnel www.wsulibs.wsu.edu

• Customized support for

classes

• Subject-specific information

portals

• Used throughout general education

classes

First Year Experience • First-Year Focus

living-learning community program

• First Year Seminar

• Common Reading

2016-17 Common Reading

Khalida Brohi

Sept. 27 (Pullman), Sept. 28 (TriCities)

Two-time Academy Award-winning Director

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy November 17, 2016

Pullman and videostreamed

The Writing Program • Award-winning support for

faculty and students

• Tutorials—walk-in and for credit

• “Writing in the Major” (M) courses

• Junior writing portfolio

Top-ranked program, US News

Undergraduate Research Programs

• Auvil Fellowships—competitive grants for students

• Intro to research courses

• Peer mentoring

• REU support

• Student travel awards

• Undergraduate research showcase

WSU Students

WSU Students

Landgrant Mission: Access with Excellence

FALL 2016 NEW STUDENT ENROLLMENT BY STATE OR

TERRITORY

Washington 84%

California & Hawaii 7%

Pacific NW (Oregon, Idaho, Alaska,

Montana) 3%

Rest of US 6%

American Indian, 1% Asian, 6%

Black, 2% Hawaiian, 0%

Hispanic, 14%

International, 2%

Not Specified, 13%

Two or More, 6%

White , 55%

FALL 2016 NEW STUDENT ENROLLMENT - RACE/ETHNICITY

PERCENTAGES

What do They Want to Study?

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

BUSINESS CAHNRS CAS COMM ED ENGR &ARCH

NURSING PHARM UND VET MED

Transfers - 1201

Digging deeper Factors that can affect teaching and learning

•40% Low Income •Financial stresses

•Open educational resources

•40% First Generation •Cultural knowledge/conflicts

•“Do I belong here?”

•Resilient, goal-oriented

Hidden demographics

• Invisible disabilities, e.g. cancer treatment, chronic disease, sleep disorders

•Mental illness

•Adverse childhood experiences

•Survivors of violence, rape, or abuse

•25% who seek campus support services are on psychotropic medications

What Faculty Can Do • Reasonable

accommodation • It’s the law

• Reasonable accommodation

• Protect student privacy • Access Center or similar on each campus

What Faculty Can Do: Recommend De-Stressors

•Exercise •Nature and animals •Laughter •Meditative techniques

Building on WSU’s Excellence

“Graduates who reported that their institution provided them with emotional support and experiential learning opportunities are two times as likely to be engaged in their work and thriving in their wellbeing later in life.” --Brandon Busteed, reporting on Gallup-Purdue Index in Trusteeship Magazine, July/Aug 2016

What Does Support Look Like? The Student View

•At least one professor made me excited about learning

•Professors cared about me as a person

•A mentor encouraged my goals and dreams

Simple Steps

• Learn who your students are and excel by teaching specifically to them.

• Achieve excellence in course design and pedagogy.

• Be available to students.

• Remember what it felt like to be a new student

QUESTIONS?